May 2012-maybe he'll have a new album to promote by then. How To Compose will be a year old next January.

If Bob was more consistent in releasing records he might gain some momentum rather than waiting the best part of ten years and then expecting fans to be still interested.

He wouldn't have to do the chat show route then and have to remind people than he is a musician, or have people wonder if he had stopped writing songs.

Lichfield Garrick Theatre has Bob down for two nights in May. Would of fancied this one but £30 is asking a lot. Just wonder if Garry Roberts might make an appearance as isn't he based in the midlands these days.

Not all the gigs are £30. Harrogate is still £25  Some next week are as low as £22.50

noelindublin wrote:

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Maybe they could give a discount for everyone who has bought How To Compose Popular Songs or who buys it in the meantime.

Perhaps all copies of the album should have a live  gig discount code. Maybe if they ask people to turn up with an old Rats cd or album the might get in for half price.

Sometimes football clubs prefer to have a ground full at a good discount for fans rather than being half empty with no athmosphere.

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I can't speak for the other gigs but Cadogan Hall was near enough sold out, so little need to offer discounts.  Anyway, you can buy a signed copy of the CD off Ian at the gig. 

If there aren't enough tickets sold, the gig gets cancelled.   Given Geldof has half a dozen others on stage with him and a bit of a crew, I don't suppose they can afford to have too many people paying less than face value.  If 480 (The Lichfield Garrick capacity) turn up paying £30 each, that's a gross of less than £15,000.  As Geldof can command up to $100,000 to speak at a function, at minimal cost, it's hardly lucrative.  I doubt Geldof covers his costs most nights.  Halving the price doesn't necessarily double the audience.

I'm a little surprised given that the Cadogan Hall gig was well attended and that London has far greater potential audience than the various outposts mentioned, that Geldof doesn't do a couple of gigs in London. 

They did give you a ticket in the Dave single many years ago, maybe they'll accept that .

noelindublin wrote:

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Talking about 'outposts' makes it sound like the old Roman empire with Hadrian's Wall and its distance from Londinium.

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Funny you should mention that..

 http://www.british-towns.net/national_maps/uk_roman_occupation.asp

Isurium Brigantum -  Harrogate
 North Yorkshire
 England

Abona -  Bristol
 England

And he will be playing one of the most famous...

Verulamium
 St. Albans
 England

Re Outposts I had been watching a series on tv about the Roman conquest of Britain and how towns in the far reaches like Chester (Diva) were frontier towns, safeguarding Roman England from the Welsh, before Wales was conquered too. It's one of those words that I always associate with the Romans!

Towns like Colchester were basically barracks for thousands of Roman soldiers back in the day.

The rock music lark basically is a licence to print money. Both Debby Harry and Pete Townsend have been complaning recently about Itunes and 'digital vampires'. I'm presuming neither of them are short of a bob.

JDNSCOT wrote:

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Once again as in the 2011 TOUR,no dates in Scotland

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 More surprisingly, no Dublin date.

The rock music lark basically is a licence to print money. Both Debby Harry and Pete Townsend have been complaning recently about Itunes and 'digital vampires'. I'm presuming neither of them are short of a bob.

---

I can remember a documentry within the last decade about Debbie Harry being left skint.

Add islington Assembly Halls on 1 June. Only 3 definitely confirmed on bobgeldof.com Bristol, Yeovil and Islington.

Scottie wrote:

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Islington Assembly Halls on 1 June.

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Interesting.  They tend not to have reserved seating there, first come first served.  Maybe it will be standing downstairs. 

I suppose if Ian wanted to have his mingle, it would be a good weekend to do it as there is a Bank Holiday on the Monday.

Shame it's on the same night as Coldplay at Highbury.  Will be tricky catching trains home.

Now Brighton on 31 May

Islington tickets are going on sale today from midday

http://www.seetickets.com / http://www.eventim.co.uk / http://www.ticketweb.com

Middlesborough added and Harrogate confirmed

Thiis is the latest (copied from twitter)

 #BobGeldof gigs 2012 #Harrogate 25 May, #Middlesborough 26 May, #WhitelyBbay 27 May,#Bristol 29 May, #Yeovil 30 May

 #Brighton 31 May, #Islington 1 June, #Seebon, #Germany 27 July.

ArrGee wrote:

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http://www.eventim.co.uk/tinfo.dll?fun=evdetail&doc=evdetailb&affiliate=EUK&key=704320$1901503

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Downstairs standing for £25

Balcony seating for £35

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 Get £5 off London date...

http://www.eventim.co.uk/freevoucher

mmm , getting tempted.

Jules wrote:

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Hmm wish I'd know about that before I booked.  Oh well..  go on ArrGee it is within the M25 and you did have a good time last time! 

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Not just within the M25, it is more or less at the centre of the universe .  It will be a late decision like last time.   Had it been in March/April and Arsenal were at home on the same day, I'd get tickets for both and make a day of it.  Also still a little wary of cancellations, so will hold off for now.

I can't even commit to going to Christmas parties more than a day in advance at the moment.  I never quite know what disaster will befall me when I get home.  Yesterday, the builder smashed the waste for the washing machine.  So looks like we'll be heading to the launderette...

[video=www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuV9zbPc4oQ]

Jules wrote:

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lol. Arrgee I've learned to buy tickets, not get over excited, just not book accommodation until a few days before. At least you get a refund on the tickets.

Lisa are you going? Or are you more of a Rats person?

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 Might try to go to Islington one but depends on getting "babysitters", easier at the weekend - or I guess could bring them along ....but quite expensive then!  About 7 years ago I drove past our local theatre to see a poster advertising BG but unfortunately for the night before!  Was absolutely gutted - it was a warm-up for a tour abroad apparently and arranged at last minute so hadn't seen it advertised.  But would definitely go if he played Winchester   Did see him a couple of decades (gulp!) ago at Town and Country Club, Kentish Town which was a good gig.

But to be honest, despite adoring him in my teens, am more of a Rats person now.  But would be good to see him again - for old time's sake I suppose.  And I did buy his latest CD ...

I was at sitting as well as standing gigs recently, the setlist doesn't change much. And sitting turns into standing anyway, sooner or later 

That 2nd encore was a one-off I'm afraid... A very special one, for a very special audience in Hamburg. 

Looking forward to meeting you next year in London, ArrGee 

I has a dream that there were ads for an upcoming Geldof gig in the papers in which it said that Simon Crowe would be appearing as a guest drummer and there was a photo of Simon on the poster.

Also in  the dream another 'very special guest' would be appearing and a cryptic message indicating who it might be. I took this to mean Gary Roberts. There was a blanked out photo (Gary?) on the ad but it hinted at both Gary and Simon appearing with Bob.

Maybe Islington in June is the place to be then, if subconscious wishes or hints are anything to go by.

I think the dream may have been telling me to go and see Bob while he is playing live. I will certainly try to see both Bob and the Rats in 2012, just wish the bloodly cold weather was over and it was April or May.

Wouldn't mind going to Swindon for the Rats but in the middle of January with the prospect of snow and air cancellations.

I think I've gotten over my gig snobbishness so with better weather will be up for travelling a bit.

It was a Saturday night dream actually. One of the theories about dreaming is that it is an unconscious wish fulfillment or manifestation of how the unconscious would like things to be, according to good old Carl Jung.

Missed out on a Middlesbrough home game coinciding with Geldof at  Middlesbrough gig (26 MAY 2012) as the season will  have ended by that date unless potential play off situation stretches to around that date, at the Riverside. Last leg of home playoff game?

It would be great if Bob has a new album to promote for those gigs. Ideally he should release an album a year for the next four or five years to let everyone know he's serious about his music and is building an audience with hard work.

Something must have changed to see him doing extensive Uk touring in 2011 and now 2012 and have reasonable crowds turn up to see him and his band- so long may it continue.

I would have thought the odds on Gerry Cott and Bob Geldof appearing on the same stage as pretty remote, almost off the scale and high odds at Paddy Power's 'weird bet' section where the punters make up their own bets on things outside the gambling mainstream.

Geldof's 'new band' have been together for the best part of twenty years and it's not likely that any Boomtown Rats reunion would be other than a few well chosen appearances on say a half dozen dates together.

I would imagine that all the guys in Geldof's band respect and like the original Boomtown Rats  and would have no problem letting that happen for a few gigs.

I respect Geldof for being more into his current or newish music as he is singing about things that concern him now, rather than how he felt as a twenty something, which he might find a bit hard to relate to now. This doesn't in any way demean the songs- it's just the process of getting older and being a bit removed from the concerns and bluster of a much younger man.

He has stated that he doesn't like being a 'human jukebox' and trotting out all the old Rats songs. Here I fully understand how he feels and he tends to sing songs that are or seem relevant to him at any particular juncture in his life, sometimes going back to old Stones or Feelgood songs because those are the songs that seem pertinent to his emotional state on stage at that moment.

I'd love to see all the original Rats on stage together for a few gigs. It's kinda funny that the can sell lots of records and still deem themselves maybe unworthy, of one final hurrah or think that not enough people care, when much lesser acts seem to have no such problems.

noelindublin wrote:

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I has a dream that there were ads for an upcoming Geldof gig in the papers in which it said that Simon Crowe would be appearing as a guest drummer and there was a photo of Simon on the poster.

Also in  the dream another 'very special guest' would be appearing and a cryptic message indicating who it might be. I took this to mean Gary Roberts. There was a blanked out photo (Gary?) on the ad but it hinted at both Gary and Simon appearing with Bob.

Maybe Islington in June is the place to be then, if subconscious wishes or hints are anything to go by.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Sunday 18th of December 2011 01:23:19 PM

---

 The only dream I've had about the Rats - or the only one I'm admitting to - was back in Feb before the planned York gig in March and I dreamt that all the band were in a cage (!) and saying their instruments had been stolen so they couldn't play!  I suggested they buy some more but they just weren't having it.  The next morning I checked the gigs website and the York one had been cancelled ....

Anyway that's the only reason I came on here and started chatting to all you crazy people - so dreams have a lot to answer for

noelindublin wrote:

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Cool enough for me if Geldof plays on or two songs by bands that undoubtedly influenced the Boomtown Rats- you should feel privileged! If Pulp played a song that influenced them would you demand Pulp only fayre?

It would be nice if fans of bands were like football fans, so that once you're a fan you stick with your band for life. Are Rats fans natural cynics? It's hard to say how many would turn up for a reunion gig, but I believe with the Internet and proper marketing and publicity it hopefully might work.

Band reunions are the holy grail of most rock music forum's no matter which bands you are interested in. What's good enough for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppellin but not the Boomtown Rats?

---

I like the current Rats doing the Feelgood songs.  It's a shame All Through The City was dropped for Diamond Smiles.  But it'd be better if they dropped the Feelgood songs for some more songs off A Tonic for the Troops.

Jarvis did do Space Oddity on his solo tour, and to be honest it was the highlight of the night along with Cnuts and Fat Kids , but I'd have rather he did a Pulp song.

I suspect Rats fans are natural cynics, many of the songs are cynical and Geldof the arch-cynic.  Only Morrissey would be more cynical in the world of rock stars.  After all, what did Geldof call his last album?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism_(contemporary)

http://www.cynical.ws/

noelindublin wrote:

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I'd put someone like Jarvis in the cynics camp as well. Lots of cynical life references in Geldof's Rats and solo music but in the world of action and politics he is a guy that tries to get things done, so there is a dichotomy there- perhaps in his younger Rats days he was more cynical and doubting good motivations/intentions in others.

Nowadays he is a shaper of society whereas before he did not have the same access to people and influence.

---

I'm a cynic about most things that are taken for granted. I'm cynical about society, politics, newspapers, government. But I'm not cynical about life, love, goodness, death. - John Lennon

Sounds about right to me.

do the rat wrote:

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Ive just bought my tickets for the geldof show in brighton which is a 500 capacity, all standing venue.
Is anyone else going?

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 Thinking about it. How much are tickets?

Not a good idea for suss to wear his palace top after previous experience but would like to meet up with fans before the gig for a drink(or two).

Got to go now and watch brighton get thier arses kicked by southampton!!!

Re gig at Islington I wonder will the cost of hotel rooms in the London area skyrocket as it is very close to the start of the Olympic games?

I was on Travelodge site looking at Brighton for my potential 'walk on the wild side' night and that's £19.50 for the night as a saver (i.e. no refunds).

For Islington you can currently get King's Cross at under £66, or Faringdon for a tenner less as savers, or add about £7 to each for flexible bookings. Not toooo bad I guess...

I'd definitely head home from London if I go, and most likely would from Brighton too, but would be well up for a meet pre-gig at either.

Have to confess that Brighton is a top top location for a day/night out, provided you're not in red and blue stripes. Venue is slap bang on seafront too, I've found out from links kindly provided.

Getting more tempted - just need to clear huge Christmas debts first 

suss wrote:

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...even Geldof can only very rarely postpone after noon on the day .

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 mmm, ask the 45 people who turned up in Milan.

There is a nice b&b on Highbury Terrace (My dream address) - single room for £36 with breakfast.

Here's a handy list...

http://www.islington.gov.uk/DownloadableDocuments/LeisureandCulture/Pdf/fs_accommodation_in_Islington6_10.pdf

suss wrote:

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I was on Travelodge site looking at Brighton for my potential 'walk on the wild side' night and that's £19.50 for the night as a saver (i.e. no refunds).

For Islington you can currently get King's Cross at under £66, or Faringdon for a tenner less as savers, or add about £7 to each for flexible bookings. Not toooo bad I guess...

I'd definitely head home from London if I go, and most likely would from Brighton too, but would be well up for a meet pre-gig at either.

Have to confess that Brighton is a top top location for a day/night out, provided you're not in red and blue stripes. Venue is slap bang on seafront too, I've found out from links kindly provided.

Getting more tempted - just need to clear huge Christmas debts first 

---

The Brighton gig is Thurs 31 May and Islington is the following night 1 June.

I will check out all the various options and make a decision closer to the dates of the concert. Forward planning is not my forte.

Scottie wrote:

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Coldplkay added an extra night on the 1st. I want  a hotel near the venue, so dont have to walk round l|ondon at night. How far is Kings Cross from Islington? My knowledge of London is zero

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Kings Cross isn't far, but it's not very nice around there, though handy for the train. Hilton Islington is the best bet and they have rooms at about £90.  

ArrGee wrote:

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noelindublin wrote:

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Coldplay start their run at the Emirates 2 June. 

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Coldplay are also on 1st (as previously mentioned).  

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 I'm intrigued to know if there's something in the Emirates sponsorship contract that stipulates 'all performances in this stadium are required to be bereft of any audience participation or atmosphere'  

ArrGee wrote:

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Scottie wrote:

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Coldplkay added an extra night on the 1st. I want  a hotel near the venue, so dont have to walk round l|ondon at night. How far is Kings Cross from Islington? My knowledge of London is zero

---

Kings Cross isn't far, but it's not very nice around there, though handy for the train. Hilton Islington is the best bet and they have rooms at about £90.  

---

 Possibly another option is the YHA ie Youth Hostel Association, but I don't think you need to be a 'youth' , but you may need to join as a member. There are other independent hostel options too, or even room share which is an inexpensive option, but as the name suggests you are sharing with strangers who are probably young and loud and drunk and not too concerned about getting a night's sleep.

Some hotels are cheap and cheerful where you just turn up  and pay cash, but are likely to be functional and very basic, and rooms are not always guaranteed.

noelindublin wrote:

---

ArrGee wrote:

---

Scottie wrote:

---

Coldplkay added an extra night on the 1st. I want  a hotel near the venue, so dont have to walk round l|ondon at night. How far is Kings Cross from Islington? My knowledge of London is zero

---

Kings Cross isn't far, but it's not very nice around there, though handy for the train. Hilton Islington is the best bet and they have rooms at about £90.  

---

 Possibly another option is the YHA ie Youth Hostel Association, but I don't think you need to be a 'youth' , but you may need to join as a member. There are other independent hostel options too, or even room share which is an inexpensive option, but as the name suggests you are sharing with strangers who are probably young and loud and drunk and not too concerned about getting a night's sleep.

Some hotels are cheap and cheerful where you just turn up  and pay cash, but are likely to be functional and very basic, and rooms are not always guaranteed.

---

 There's always the Arsenal Tavern if you ain't too fussy!

http://www.arsenaltavern.com/

ArrGee wrote:

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suss wrote:

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 I'm intrigued to know if there's something in the E******s sponsorship contract that stipulates 'all performances in this stadium are required to be bereft of any audience participation or atmosphere'  

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I'm gonna have to ban you if you continue to make such inflammatory posts.  I can't believe the E word isn't blocked by the profanity filter. 

 

---

 Straight red card for the Palace boy!

Jules wrote:

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We weren't planning on staying in Islington as there are buses back all night to Oxford. However, will we be able to get from Islington to Victoria without any difficulty? What do you think?

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 Jules,

Looks like I'm on borrowed time on here so I'll be brief .

Victoria line tube all the way (from Highbury & Islington). Couldn't be easier, and they'll run well after gig in time for you to catch Oxford Tube or whatever coach is called now.

See you in Swindon hopefully.

Suss

Can't believe you'll have any problem at all getting a tube at that time of night, and most likely a seat. Coldplay crowd will be well out of the way if you're hanging about to see Bob, and even if there is a clash the worst that'll happen is you wait for next tube a few minutes later.

suss wrote:

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Can't believe you'll have any problem at all getting a tube at that time of night, and most likely a seat. Coldplay crowd will be well out of the way if you're hanging about to see Bob, and even if there is a clash the worst that'll happen is you wait for next tube a few minutes later.

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 The later the better.  Highbury & Islington is a bit of a pain to get into after games as they only allow access from Holloway Road, and could send you to the back of the queue if you come from Upper Street.  I suspect they will do the same for a concert.

Anyway, you can park after 6.30pm near the venue and it's outside congestion charge area.

noelindublin wrote:

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ArrGee wrote:

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suss wrote:

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 I'm intrigued to know if there's something in the E******s sponsorship contract that stipulates 'all performances in this stadium are required to be bereft of any audience participation or atmosphere'  

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I'm gonna have to ban you if you continue to make such inflammatory posts.  I can't believe the E word isn't blocked by the profanity filter. 

 

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 Straight red card for the Palace boy!

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 Drat! Was relying on the fact ArrGee Wenger wouldn't have seen the offence from where he was sitting....